Knock-out



W. H. KELLER KNOCK-OUT July 11, 1939.

Filed Oct. 16, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 y 11, 1939- w. H. KELLER 2,166,057

KNOCK-OUT Filed Oct. 16, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented July 11, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE to The Keller-Whilldin Pottery Company,

North Wales, Pa., a. corporation Application October 16, 1936, Serial No. 106,053

Claims.

My invention relates to an improvement in knock-outs.

These so-called knock-outs are used in the formation of flower-pots, and the present invention has many practical advantages over the prior art.

In dies employed in the formation of standard or conventional flower-pots, the function of the false bottom or ejector part of the die is to fashion the bottom of the pot, and, as the forming operation is completed, to eject the flower-pot in its plastic state from the female die, so that the pot may be conveniently removed by the operator from the forming machine. This dual function is performed by almost all types of false bottoms in the art of flower pot manufacture. It is customary in the formation of flower-pots to place a previously formed ball of plastic clay in the female mold while the male member is in a raised position.

The female mold is held stationary; the male mold rises and falls and at the same time revolves; and when the machine is put through its forming cycle, the male mold descends upon the plastic ball of clay previously deposited in the female die, revolving at the same time very much like the well-known drill press operation.

As a result of the downward movement of the male die and the oil which has been previously placed on the clay ball, the clay spins within the female mold as a result of the frictional force and direction of rotary movement of the male die therein.

During the forming process, excess clay is squeezed out of the top of the female die after having completely filled the intervening space between the male and female (exclusive of the small air vent holes at base of pot and at the rim) and in the present invention a single hole is punched through the center of the bottom. of the flowerpot. This excess clay is quickly disposed of, due to the novel construction of the present invention.

In the past, these bottoms of flower-pots have been molded in various forms and by employing various means to accomplish the required end. For example: There is a type of flower-pot in which the bottom has five holes, one large hole in the center, and four smaller holes arranged more or less equally distant from the center hole and from one another, and as above formed some scheme has been provided for raising the bottom on separated feet or rims in order to facilitate the escape of excess water and provide ventilation.

These devices have sometimes been made up of various movable parts, such as a plurality of punches for forming the holes, springs of various types for actuating these punches, roller-bearings, and the like, but all of these are objectionable because they soon become clogged and choked, and the operation has to stop, and the machine has to be cleaned, all of which requires time and trouble, and naturally increases the cost of manufacture of an article in which there is necessarily but a small margin of profit at best, and where the quantity of output is a desideratum.

Again, it has been found, after several years experience, that the florists prefer a single hole in the bottom of these pots as well as feet on the pot so as to lift the bottom. of the pot above the surface on which it rests to allow air to circulate under the bottom of the pot and to avoid excess moisture in the bottom of the flower-pot, all of which is very essential to the commercial growing of plants. Furthermore, generally speaking, florists do not like the idea of the five separate holes because when these pots are used, they find it necessary to cover them with small pieces of broken flower-pot to prevent the roots from growing through the holes. With the single hole, the necessity for this, while it still exists, is, nevertheless, reduced to a minimum, in other words it is simpler and easier to crock (as it is termed) one hole instead of five, the one large hole being of more practical use to the florist.

In my present'invention, means is provided consisting of a minimum number of parts to accomplish the manufacture of flower-pots, with provision for greatly facilitating the removal of the excess clay punched downwardly in the formation of the center hole in the bottom of the fiow- I er-pot, with the result that it is possible to greatly facilitate and speed up the manufacture of these pots with the minimum number of constituent mechanical parts, (which heretofore have been a source of trouble due to getting easily and quickly clogged and out of order) for the highest efiiciency.

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 is a view in perspective of my improved device;

Fig. 2 is a vertical section of the same;

Fig. 3 is an exploded view in perspective of the parts going to make up my improved knock-out device;

Fig. 4 is a view partly in section and partly in elevation of my improvement applied and in its proper relationship with the male and female dies; and

Figs. 5 and 6 are sectional views on the line of Fig. 4, looking upward in the direction of the lower arrows showing the shank in two different positions as it rotates within the cage-like hub of the supporting head of the knock-out.

The numerals I and 2 represent typical forms of male and female dies, the latter of which is preferably provided with minute air vents 2|, used in the formation of flower-pots, and the letter C represents an oiled ball of previously prepared clay. This ball of clay is dropped in the female die, as illustrated in Fig. 4, where it rests upon a rotatable bottom die 3. This bottom die is fashioned on the upper surface with the several depressions 4, preferably four in number, which are adapted to form the corresponding number of feet on the bottom of the pot.

The bottom die has preferably formed thereon a centrally located depending cylindrical shank 5, which fits and turns in a surrounding cylindrical cage-like hub 6, the intermediate vertical bars I of which go to partially make up this hub 6 and provide intervening windows 8 as illustrated in the several figures of the drawings.

The shank 5 is counterbored through the center to form an orifice 9, which receives the button of clay punched out in the center of the bottom of the flower-pot by the punch I [I located at the center of the lower side of the male die I, as illustrated in Fig. 4.

This orifice 9 ends in two diverging discharge outlets ll, preferably extending diagonally in opposite directions, and these outlets H terminate at the surface of the shank 5 where they have a shearing action against the contacting edges of the vertical bars 7. This constitutes one of the desirable features of the invention, because in this way the clay forced by the punch [0 into the orifice 9, (which would otherwise become jammed therein with the repeated punchings) finds ready escape through the outlets II where it is being constantly pared off with the co-operative action of the punching'out of the button of clay and the rotation of the bottom die 3, which necessarily turns with the clay and the formed pot due to the rotary action of the male die I and frictional contact between the latter and the inner wall of the formed pot, the bottom of which is frictionally engaged, by the feet thereof, on the upper surface of the bottom die 3.

As a desirable assembly in the construction of my improved device, bearing rings I2 and I3 of hardened steel or other metal are provided with interlocking studs M and I5, respectively, which enter corresponding holes in the under side of bottom die 3 and the upper side of the head of the cage-like hub 6, as viewed in Figs. 2 and 3.

A washer I5 is held by the screw l6 against the lower end of the hub 6, as shown in Fig. 2, to maintain the relationship between the bottom die 3 and the hub 6.

A nut I? is screwed on the lower end of the hub 6, and a rod I8 screwed into the nut l1 provides the means for reciprocating the knockout at predetermined intervals.

To recapitulate, the method of operation under this device is as follows:

A ball of clay C is placed in the female die 2, as in Fig. 4. The rotating male die I descends upon the clay, forcing a portion of the ball of clay into and filling the recesses 4 on the upper surface of the bottom die 3, and punching the usual hole through the center of the bottom of the forming flower-pot, the remaining portion of the clay being forced and compacted in the annular space between the male and female dies, a sufficient amount at the top being forced upwardly to form the rim of the flower-pot between the flaring upper edge [9 of the female die and the flange 23 of the male die, and all excess clay being squeezed out and falling over the upper edge of the female die.

The male die now recedes, and the knock-out lifts out of and to the top of the female die and clear of the latter, whereupon the operator of the machine carefully lifts the formed pot off the bottom die where it has rested, and another 5 ball of clay is dropped in the female die resting on the bottom die, and the operation of forming a flower-pot is repeated.

I claim:

1. A knock-out for plastic forms including a 1 rotatable die having a cylindrical shank, an orifice therethrough with a lateral outlet terminating at the surface of the shank, and a hub in which the cylindrical shank is fitted and turns, said hub having one window at least in its side, 14 one edge of which has a shearing effect upon material forced through the shank as it issues from the outlet.

2. A knock-out for plastic forms including a rotatable die having its upper surface fashioned 2' to the formation desired in the plastic material to be molded, said rotatable die having a cylindrical shank, an orifice therethrough with a lateral outlet terminating at the surface of the shank, and a hub in which the cylindrical shank 2; is fitted and turns, said hub having one window at least in its side, one edge of which has a shearing effect upon material forced through the shank as it issues from the outlet.

3. The combination with a rotary reciprocat- 31 ing male die and a stationary female die, of a knockout vertically movable in the bottom of the female die including a rotatable die, the upper surface of which is fashioned to form feet on the article molded between the male, female 3, and rotatable dies, the rotatable die having a cylindrical shank journaled in a hub, the center of the rotatable die having an orifice leading to a lateral outlet which terminates at the outer surface of the cylindrical shank, the hub having 44 at least one opening in the side, an edge of which opening has a shearing effect upon any plastic material received in the orifice due to the punching of a hole in the bottom of the article being formed between the dies as said material issues from the outlet in the shank.

4. The combination of a male and female die,

a knock-out having a rotatable die which is capable of moving up and down and rotating within the female die and is provided with a central orifice to receive and dispose of clay punched thereinto as the male and female dies come together in the act of compressing the plastic material being treated, and means for shearing off the waste material received by the rotatable die 5; in punching a hole in the article being formed. 5. The combination of a stationary female die, a reciprocating rotatable die having a punch depending from the bottom thereof, a knock-out adapted to turn and be reciprocated within the 6' female die and having a central orifice in position to register with the punch on the male die and receive waste material resulting from the hole punched in the article being formed, and means for shearing ofi and disposing of this material as it issues through the shank of the rotable die due topressure created on the mate rial with the accretion of material punched out in the form of the hole in the article being formed. 7

WILLIAM HERBERT KELLER. 

